This background section is provided for the purpose of generally describing the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventor(s), to the extent the work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
As work environments become increasingly dense, employees find themselves working closer and closer together. Although such arrangements can improve collaboration between employees, they may also increase distractions. In particular, various activities, such as conversations, phone calls, and music, may now be within earshot of a greater number of people. In turn, workers and employers have sought ways to minimize distractions and maintain productivity. Typically, such solutions come in the form of headphones and environmental sound masking. Further complicating matters, headphones and sound masking may employ active noise cancellation technologies that emit acoustics to cancel environmental noises. For example, headphones may generate anti-phase acoustic signals, and sound masking may be specifically configured to render unintelligible human speech outside of a given radius. However, many active noise cancellation technologies are not able to discern the content of such noises, or otherwise discriminate between which noises are cancelled. As such, these technologies cancel almost all noise regardless of the source or content. There are a number of circumstances in which a person should hear the noises within his or her environment.